Rapid colour-change swab test helps to ensure that surgical instruments are sufficiently clean to undergo sterilisation procedures, redusing the risk of cross-contamination
Biotrace International has launched a colour change swab test, Pro-tect M, for residual protein detection on surgical instruments.
Ideal for central sterile service departments (CSSD) or hospital sterile departments (HSD) Pro-tect M is used following washing and disinfection to ensure instruments are sufficiently clean for effective sterilisation to be performed. Testing surgical instruments after washing is critically important as failure to clean effectively can increase the risk of cross infection.
Highly accurate and reliable, Pro-tect M is time and cost effective and achieves equivalent sensitivity to the Ninhydrin test; the standard test in the UK health guidelines HTM2030 and draft European guidelines ISO 15883.
Pro-tect M is simple and self-contained, requiring little user training and eliminating the need to use potentially harmful chemicals or laboratory facilities, unlike the Ninhydrin method widely used by sterile service departments.
The Pro-tect M test procedure is easy the surface of the surgical instrument is swabbed and the test is activated.
It is then incubated at 37C for 45 minutes, the colour of the test reaction after incubation indicates the level of protein residues.
A green colour indicates a clean instrument with no further action required, whereas grey or purple results dictate re-cleaning and re-testing.
Pro-tect M is available worldwide and is expected to prove very popular in hard working sterile service departments who are looking for a safe and effective validation test that they can rely on.
